Skimmed an article this week about the California budget battle. Specifically, the fact that over 5,000 retired government workers receive pensions in excess of $100,000. I was wrong. According to California Prison Reform, the number is actually 5,115. That’s $51 million, annually the state owes to these lucky individuals. (not counting educators).

I mention this for two reasons. First,California has been a little short of cash lately. No doubt in part due to their overloaded pension.

Secondly, waltm at Doc’s Political Parlor had an interesting post on a statement Bob Riley made about trimming teacher benefits to fund the education budget (proration is at 11%). Dangerous territory as Paul Hubbert and the AEA are the Hoffa and Teamsters of Alabama. Read the comments at the last link and you ‘ll get the drift. Our teachers do not receive pensions like California but they do get some snappy health benefits like these:

According to RSA (pdf), monthly premiums for single teachers who take the Hospital/Medical or an HMO plan have a $742 monthly state allocation and they pay $2 out of pocket.

And for comparison, single state employees (pdf) cost the state, $775 and have no payroll deduction for insurance.